


Season One: Through The Mind

by todaydream



Series: Criminal Minds [1]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Also excels in fitness, Autodidact, But you have extreme sympathy towards others, Chromesthesia, Come off a bit cold, F/M, Female!Reader - Freeform, IQ of 189, Multi, Not emotionally inept, RIP Reid's heart when you smile, Reader-Insert, Self-Insert, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Slow To Update, Will follow closely to cannon, You have anxiety though and can be awkward, bisexual reader, eidetic memory, genius, idk - Freeform, season one, small changes, what are the requirements of a dark background, your a wee bit better than Reid at everything
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-29
Updated: 2016-11-02
Packaged: 2018-08-18 10:27:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8158879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/todaydream/pseuds/todaydream
Summary: You graduated High School at age 12 with an IQ of 189, an eidetic memory, the ability to read 21000 words per minute, and a strange skills that allows you to identify sound with color.  By age 19 you obtained three BA's in: Visual and Performing Arts, Psychology, and Philosophy; a law degree from Yale, and two PhD's in Child Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience. After 4 years of military service, at the age of 23, you applied for the FBI. Even though your fresh out of the FBI Academy, SES Erin Strauss decides she wants you to be part of the BAU. S.S. Aaron Hotchner has another candidate in mind.But honestly, who can say no to having two geniuses on one team?





	1. Extreme Aggressor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason Gideon is called back from the BAU to profile a killer. The team flies to Seattle when another young woman goes missing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Joseph Conrad said, "The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary. Men alone are quite capable of every wickedness."_

The team is preparing to fly to Seattle to profile the captor of a woman, the fourth one missing in four months, "This girl may only have 6 hours to live. We are not asking for a judgement on Gideon, we want to know that you are there to step in if he cannot preform. Are we clear?"

Aaron sighs, "Of course," and tries to leave but is put to a stop by his superior.

"The student internship starts today," she lies. "She's already on the plane."

All he can do is nod and board the plane, his team looks at him with expressions of confusion because of the [hair color]-haired stranger sitting and reading some files that aren't a part of the case. He decides to ignore it due to the time strain, they can't waste it with introductions. After a few moments of awkward silence, Reid decides to look over the case. The four men effectively exclude you from the conversation, which causes your temper to rise.

"He's learning, perfecting his scenario, becoming a better killer," Jason says.

Its an easy conclusion to come to, the killer did strangle the victim and then stab her. As Dr. Reid said, it's not as easy to strangle someone as people may think, well unless you're trained in combat. You sigh and lay your head back this isn't your case, SES Strauss told you not to intrude unless you think it is absolutely necessary. For the rest of the flight you close your eyes, feigning sleep, while listening closely to their theories.

* * *

The five of you land at the Seattle airport and try to go through security as quickly as you can.

"It's hyper-vigilance, its not uncommon in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder," you overhear Dr. Spencer tell Agent Morgan.

 _'It's a symptom for many anxiety disorders,'_ you want to respond but don't, because honestly who is he to imply that someone has PTSD? Only 9% of people develop PTSD at some point in life, and it is more common in women. You take a deep breath and think, ' _A_ _lright, alright, calm the fuck down [First Name], he's just stating a fact.'_ You don't hear the rest of their conversation since you were lost in your own mind, but judging by Hotchner's face he isn't exactly happy with Morgan. Then again isn't his face always like that? The thought makes you laugh a bit in your mind.

* * *

"This is Special Agent Gideon, Special Agent Morgan our expert on Obsessional Crimes, Special Agent Reid-"

"Dr. Reid," Jason corrects Hotch.

"-Dr. Reid, our expert on well, everything, and after two years of busting my butt in this office I hope you remember me," his little joke brings chuckles throughout the office.

"And who is this?" one of the detectives says as he gestures to you.

S.S. Hotch nods his head to tell you to introduce yourself. Your temper rises again, he probably hasn't even read your file which means he doesn't even know your name. "I am Major [Full Name], here on an internship from the FBI Academy." _'Bloody liar,'_ you retort to yourself. This earns you some disbelieving looks, and a curious one from Reid. Okay, yeah your young, and you've made sure to keep your name out of all the articles about your achievements, but is it that hard to believe?

Jason brings the attention back to the case, "He's willing to travel with the body."

"And he drives a vehicle capable on concealing one," Aaron concludes.

"1 in 7.4 drivers in Seattle own an SUV," Reid states.

"Explorer with tinted windows?" Derek thinks out-loud.

They start throwing car brands around, and you can't help but think _,_ _'Wrong, wrong, wrong. Car has to be masculine enough for this killer to assert himself, meaning arrogant. The car also has to be aesthetically pleasing enough for women, possibly one that calls the attention of women with more than basic knowledge about cars.'_

"...He dumped that body out of state," you catch the end of the Detective's sentence.

 _'Knowledge of law enforcement, may have a criminal record,'_ you add to your own profile. Reid states the same thing two seconds later.

The Detective asks if they want to see their suspect list, which Hotch respectively declines, not wanting to add bias to the profile. They set about building the profile, by going to the sight of the first murder. Leaving you, once again, with nothing to do. You go to one of the lady officers, "Excuse me, is it possible for me to take a look at the suspect list? It will give me something to do while those men disregard my existence." She nods in understanding and hands you the list, along with the suspects' file.

_'So how do I go about this? Okay well since they were talking about cars so much earlier, let's look at that, and I should read more about the victims. But how? Ooo look, they left their case files behind."_

* * *

"So that's Gideon, The Gideon," an officer says, "Huh, the one who caught that guy Adrian Bale in Boston."

Derek, with an accusing tone responds, "Yup, that's him, but catching him costed us 6 agents."

Jason observes the crime scene. "22-year-old Anne Kushen was found right here," Derek says. Together they conclude that the unsub is in his early 20's, with a mindset that woman are disposable. The main question was, why move the body?

* * *

Spencer jumps a bit when the dog barks at him. The man they are going to interview, the victim's brother, apologizes but Hotch just waves it off. "Don't worry its what we call the Reid effect. It happens with children too."

"David, does your sister drive a Dawson Z?" Reid asks as he observes a magazine with a Dawson Z 240 on the cover. David answers negatively, but that his sister was looking to buy one. Once he leaves to take the Golden Retriever Sandy outside Reid tells Hotch, "There is an established relationship between buyer and seller. A level of trust. If I want to coax a young woman into my car..."

"Offer her a test drive," Aaron finishes.

* * *

Reid and Derek discuss the case while adding their thoughts. Spencer is doing twirls in the desk chair, which inwardly makes you giggle. You notice Jason staring intensely at the board, and know that he has a profile. You're almost eager to hear the profile, and match it with yours.

"The unidentified subject is white, and in his late 20's. He's someone you wouldn't notice at first, he's someone who would blend in any crowd. The violent nature of the crimes suggests a previous criminal record, petty crimes, maybe auto-theft. We've classified him as an organized killer, careful, psychopathic as opposed to psychotic. He follows the news, has good hygiene, and is smart. 'Cuz he's smart the only physical evidence you'll find is what he wants you to find. He's mobile, car in good condition. Our guess is Jeep Cherokee, tinted windows. The murders are all about rape, but rape without penetration is a form of piquerism, which tells us that he is sexually inadequate. Psychiatric evaluations will show a history of paranoia, stemming from a childhood trauma: death of a parent or family member. And now he feels persecuted and watched. Murder gives him a sense of power..."

Forgetting all about your own profile you think, _'He's already been interviewed!'_ You mentally go through the files you read and conclude the unsub to be _, 'Richard Slessman!'_ It takes you three seconds to realize you said that out-loud, and you blush because everyone is staring at you. Then there is movement. You try to apologize to Gideon for interrupting him, but he just pats you on the back proudly.

* * *

_Emerson said, "All is riddle, and the key to a riddle is another riddle."_

* * *

Elle Greenaway leads the operation to arrest Richard. She's your competition for the open spot at the BAU, not that she knows it. They all think your a damn intern. So your a little bothered by this, but not really because something about Richard being the killer is off to you. He's scrawny, and that wouldn't have helped in prison, he would need someone to protect him. You start thinking about your own problem.

You call Reid, _"Hello?"_ he says.

"Hello, Dr. Reid this is Major [Full Name], I've been looking at Richard's file again, because he didn't fit the profile correctly. He's a submissive who was taught to act like a dominant."

 _"What kind of game is that?"_ a voice in the background says, its a woman's and you can only assume its Agent Greenaway.

 _"In China it is called Wéiqí, here we call it Go. It is considered the most difficult board game to ever be conceived,"_ Spencer answers and then brings his attention back to you, _"Go on Major."_

"There's two killers. The one who taught him to act like a dominant. He has to be someone who could have protected him in prison, it could be another prisoner or even better, an authority figure, someone with power over others."

 _"We'll have someone look into it,"_ he hangs up.

"A thank you would have been nice," you grumble.

* * *

Spencer further observes the Go board in front of him. "It also looks like he's playing himself. This could provide an advantage. Go is considered to be a particularly psychologically revealing game. There are profiles for every player, the conservative point counter, the aggressor, the finesser..."

"What kind of player is Slessman?" Hotch asks.

"Extreme agressor. Major [Last Name] believes that there may be another unsub, a dominant person who took Richard under his wing in prison. Someone with authority and power."

"There's no evidence of there being two unsubs," Elle says with doubt.

"We also didn't look for any, Gideon, interview the suspect," Hotch says, "I'm going to check Morgan's progress with the computer."

* * *

"You said that there's never been an actual case of multiple personalities," Richard tells Gideon.

Jason unfolds a newspaper and lays it in front of his suspect, "You a fan of Adrian Bale's work?"

"No, I'm a fan of yours." Richard then continues to taunt Gideon with his friends death due to his failed CPR attempt.

"Why don't you tell us where Heather Woodland is? I know why, because you don't know. Your not the one in charge," Jason smirks when Richard looks surprised, instead of vehemently denying it. But Jason knows that the suspect won't say anything unless they get a name. He leaves the kitchen to talk to Hotch, with a small smile he says, "Conflicts in the profile."

"Two different behaviors," Hotch nods in understanding.

"Two different people...There's a second killer," Jason says, impressed once again by the intern. "She's good."

"A little too good for an FBI Academy student," Aaron frowns.

* * *

At the station, Hotchner interviews Richard's grandma and gets the name Charlie. Elle cross references it and gets the name Charles Linder, Slessman's cellmate, who received a dishonorable discharge from the military. You frown, Linder may have been stronger than Richard but he doesn't have the kind of authority that would make Richard feel indebted to him, and he couldn't have been the strongest one in the prison.

* * *

Reid is printing out an address for Slessman when he sees Hotch, "Does Senior Management want a Field Assessment on Gideon?"

Aaron sighs, "Don't worry about it."

"Are they nervous about him being in charge?"

"Aren't you on your way to Slessman's house to help Morgan?"

Before Aaron can leave Spencer asks, "Do you know why he always introduces me as Dr. Spencer Reid?"

"Because he knows that people see you as a kid, and he wants to make sure they respect you. It's the same reason that the intern introduces herself as Major [Full Name]...Now what's the address?"

"I don't think it matters anymore," Spencer says as he looks at the paper.

* * *

Derek calls the Tech Analyst, Penelope Garcia, _"You've reached Penelope Garcia and the FBI's Office of Supreme Genius."_

"Hey, it's Morgan. I need you to work me some magic here. I've got a program called Deadbolt Defense, and a girl with only a couple of hours to live, so what do ya know?"

_"Then you've got a problem, Deadbolt is the number one password crack resistant software out there. You're gunna have to get inside this guy's head to get the password."_

Morgan sighs, "I thought I was calling the Office of Supreme Genius."

_"Well gorgeous, you've been re-rooted to the Office of Too Freakin' Bad."_

"Thanks anyways," Morgan hangs up and starts to rummage through Slessman's stuff to get an idea of how he lived. What catches his attention are Richard's CDs, with the help of the Crime Scene Investigation team and Reid when he arrives they go through all his collection, only to find nothing.

"I think we may have missed the obvious," Reid tells Morgan as he opens the CD player in the laptop.

"Reid, what made you think of this?" Derek asks.

Spencer hands him a Metallica case, "It was the only empty case."

Morgan types in "entersandman" in the password box, the laptop unlocks itself. "It seems like we keep missing the obvious in this case."

"The Major hasn't," Reid points out.

Spencer notices the light at the top of the web cam image it shows that Heather is trapped in a swaying cage, he has an idea of where Heather is.

* * *

_Winston Churchill said, "The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you will see."_

* * *

"Timothy Vogel was the guard in charge of Slessman's cell, I'll go get him for you," the Head of the Prison says before leaving.

"Charles Linder's name came up on a police report," Elle says with frustration.

"And?" Gideon questions.

"He's dead, car accident 2 months ago. Linder is dead."

Jason thinks about what they could of missed, "Someone with authority and power," he whispers.

"What?"

"We focused too much on the power, and not the authority. But not the Major, no, she said someone with authority and power. Linder was strong, yes but there's always someone stronger. His strength alone wouldn't have been enough to protect Slessman. That's why she said 'and authority.' Someone with power and in a position of power. Who was also close to him, in a way that it didn't look suspicious."

"The guard," Elle gasps in understanding. After meeting Tim, hearing him say that half of their job is to protect the prisoners from each other and seeing his Z keychain, Jason is further convinced he is their unsub. Nevertheless, the two act like they have no idea, and wait to make their arrest once Vogel leaves from work.

"Hotch, your leverage is Timothy Vogel," Jason tells Hotchner over the phone when they see the Dawson leave the employee parking lot.

They follow Vogel's car, but his calm driving makes Elle suspicious because it's a big switch from his nervousness from earlier. They turn on the sirens and when they apprehend the driver, its not Vogel. The driver said that Vogel asked to borrow his truck, a Dodge Dakota.

Gideon answers his phone, _"Gideon, Heather is alive,"_ Derek says.

"How do you know?"

_"Because, we are watching her, right now."_

* * *

"We don't care about you," Hotch tells Richard, "It's Vogel we want."

"...So Vogel did you a favor, he protected you in prison, and now you feel like you owe him. And you need to protect him. Guys like Vogel learn in the school yard which kids to bully and which kids to protect. And he's got you believing that you owe him, so much, that you'll go to jail for him.

...Richard, I'm here to remind you of something, you owe him nothing."

Richard just smiles.

Hotch is on edge, they don't have enough time to get information out of Richard. "She's on a boat, where?" He asks Morgan over the phone as he walks back toward the interview room.

 _"It's a peer, or a dock. He wouldn't be able to transmit the web camera image from the middle of the ocean,"_ Derek tells Hotch.

"You're sure about this?"

_"It's the best we've got Hotch, but even if we're right, getting the exact location is on you my friend."_

"What is it that you always ask Garcia?"

Derek chuckles, _"To work me a little magic."_

Hotch kicks the door of the interview room open, "Just to let you know, Gideon is talking to Vogel, and Vogel is nailing you to the wall."

"Yeah whatever," Slessman shrugs.

"He said it was your idea to keep the girls on a boat." Aaron introduces the idea of a deal to Richard, to get him to talk.

"It's a shipyard."

* * *

Elle and Gideon arrive at the shipyard moments after Tim does, they go after him without back-up because they are afraid that if they wait for back-up he will kill Heather. Heather makes an attempt to escape, which leads to a stand off between Gideon and Tim. Gideon makes himself a open target, and taunts Tim to get him to point the gun away from Heather.

"...Short-stack, very little Vogel! Oh, I got it, Tiny Tim," Jason says.

"Shut up!" Vogel shouts as he aims his gun at Gideon. Elle shoots Tim, and Tim shoots Gideon.

Jason gets the bullet removed from his arm, once everything is done.

"So what kind of report do they want on Gideon?" Derek asks.

"I guess whether he's fit to be a field agent," Aaron says, "Ya know Hayley and I were looking at baby names. Guess what Gideon means in Hebrew?"

Both you and Spencer arrive at the same time, from different directions and say the same thing, "Mighty warrior."

The three of them look at you strangely, you shrug it off. "Although I do not know you well S.S. Hotchner, I think it is an appropriate name," you say before you walk away.

Derek looks at Hotch, "So what are you going to tell them?"

"What would you say?"

"He saved her life, that's good enough for me," Derek walks away also.

* * *

On the plane, Derek and Spencer are laid out on the couch getting some much deserved sleep. You are once again feigning sleep with your head laid against the seat.

"Hey," you hear Aaron tell Jason.

"You and Hayley pick the baby's name yet?"

"You know, its funny. Hayley liked the name Charles. But ya know, all I could think of was-"

"Manson."

"And then there was Henry-"

"Lee Lucas."

"And Jeffrey-"

"Dahmer," you say before Gideon can, "There's so many of them."

"Kind of hard to feel good about catching one, when you know there's fifty more out there," Gideon says sadly.

"It shouldn't be hard," you say sincerely, "Because that one you caught puts the victims' soul to rest, and saves the potential ones. When you stop one, you stop the suffering caused by them." They stare at you with a smidgen of amazement in their eyes, you were a soldier, and they have an idea of what horrors you could have seen. But it doesn't change your glass-half-full view of the world.

You stand up to go to the one bedroom to get some real sleep, smoothing out your perfectly tailored work suit, "I am aware that for this case there wasn't time for formal introductions, but I did read each of your files when I received them from SES Strauss before I boarded the jet. I assume that the file on me is in your office back at the Bureau. I recommend you read it."

* * *

_Nietzsche once said, "When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks into you."_

* * *

Gideon stops at a gas station, behind the cashier there is a wall of pictures, he turns his head to see a red pick-up truck parked in the front. "Have a N-N-N-N-N-Nice day,"the cashier says. A tense moment, then Jason walks away. From a reflective surface, he sees the cashier point a shot gun at him.


	2. Compulsion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a serial arsonist in Arizona. Gideon tells the story of the Footpath Killer.

"I told Virginia P.D., they are looking for a white male in his 20's who owns an American-made truck, works a menial job. I told 'em when you find him, don't be surprised to hear him speak with a severe stutter," Gideon tells the FBI Academy students he is lecturing to.

* * *

"The gun...T-T...Take out the gun. Th-Th-Throw it," the cashier tells Jason as he points a shot gun to his head.

"Any particular direction?" Jason asks calmly, then when he turns to face the cashier he's hit in the back of the leg with the shot gun and thrown against a wall.

"Who...Who are y-y-y...Who are you? Who are you?!" The cashiers asks angrily.

"FBI."

"T-T-T-T-T-Take out you w...your w-wallet," when he sees the badge he gets angry, "Wh...Wh-wh-what...What do you kn-kn...What do you know?"

"About you, or about the people you've murdered? I know a lot about you. I know how you do it. I know you can't stop. And I know something that no one's ever been able to tell you...

I know why you stutter," Jason says.

* * *

"So anyone else would have just seen a guy who stutters, but you saw the Footpath killer," a trainee states.

"Right, but sometimes these guys are found by just dumb luck," Jason tells them.

You, who had been listening closely to the story nod in agreement, "Berkowitz was caught because of a parking ticket."

Elle appears in the doorway, "Except the cop who caught him wasn't staring down a shot gun, like you were."

"This is true, this is also a good time to stop," Jason dismisses the trainees and they leave with gratitude.

Elle sits next to you in the the office, "Were you there for the lecture?" she asks.

You smile politely, "Yes, it is part of my internship to attend all the lectures that the BAU guest speak at."

Elle's attention turns back to Gideon, "Okay, I'm curious. Why'd he stutter?"

"You're on you way to becoming part of the Behavior Analysis team now, Elle. You tell me," Gideon says challengingly and looks at you, "I do believe that the Major here has already gotten the correct answer." A competitive spark enters Elle's eyes and suddenly you feel uncomfortable, she leaves and you groan as you throw your hands in the air.

"That's unfair and you know it!" you grumble.

Gideon chuckles, "Yes but she'll have to analyze you, see how you think to get the same answer, then on her own decide if that is the right answer. Me, Hotch, JJ, and Garcia have read your file. We know what you are capable and who you are, we want to see if the team is as good as they think they are. Its a test."

You groan again, "I thought that Hotch would be more angry when he learned that Strauss and her Superior put me on the team without his consent."

"He was, but he made a deal with Strauss. You are the higher ups pick, and Elle is his pick, so he should keep both since even with one more member we are low on man power."

You both walk out of the office. Jason moves a chess piece in passing and you laugh when Reid looks so surprised. "Checkmate in three moves," you say with a wink before following Jason.

"What?" he says.

"You'll beat him when you start learning to think outside the box...As for her, I don't know, maybe she is just smarter than you," Derek tells Spencer teasingly.

"Question for you. The Footpath killer, why did he stutter?" Elle asks Morgan as she walks toward him.

"Come on Elle, we've all asked him and he won't say. He wants us to figure it out."

"The Major apparently already has an answer, but I'm up for the challenge." Derek and Spencer are again, surprised by the other newbie, but before either of them can start dwelling on it, a blonde comes.

"Good because these go to you," she hands Elle a pile of files, "Special Agent Jennifer Jareau, JJ if you like."

"Elle-"

"Greenaway, highest number of solved cases in Seattle three years running, specialty in sex offender cases."

"Not bad," Elle nods.

"Well I'm the Unit Liaison, my specialty is untangling bureaucratic knots. You'll probably be talking to me a lot, my door is always open. Mostly because I'm never in my office so just call me on my cell, okay?" She sees Hotch on her way to the office, "Did you watch it?"

"Yeah. I think everybody should see it.

BAU Team, Major [Last Name], can you meet me in the conference room, please? I need to show you something."

He shows them a video of fire consuming a building at Bradshaw College, the two college boys talk about calling the campus police. Someone seems to be trying to open the door and fails multiple times. One of the boys, Matt, says it smells like gas and then he's on fire. His roommate freaks out, and tries using a towel to put out the fire. Everyone in the conference room shows a bit of grief, except for you, you keep yours devoid of emotion which you often do when your emotions overwhelm you.

* * *

_Einstein once said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world."_

* * *

"There are two common stressors for a serial arsonist," Reid says as he sets up a chessboard.

"Loss of job, loss of love," Elle responds.

"A fixation of some sort is common in all arsonists, whether it be on their job, their significant other, fire itself, or something else. That is often where they lay the blame," you say as you look at the case file.

Derek nods in agreement, though he doesn't think any of them would have thought of that, "When was the first fire set?"

The serial arsonist seems to be escalating, you all notice when Derek highlights the dates.

"82% of arsonists are white males between 17 and 27. Female arsonists are far less likely, their motive typically being revenge," Reid says.

"Sounds like our boy is a student," Derek responds.

 _'Arsonists are usually profiled with lower-than-average IQs, and low economic status. But seeing as this is a college campus the low economic status is a given, so maybe I should look at those who are in danger of, or flunking out of school? And let's not think about gender for now, you could miss something if you do,'_ you think to yourself.

* * *

"No badges, I don't wanna satisfy the unsubs need for attention by letting them know the FBI is here. Try not to look official," Jason looks at you all,"Try to look less official. Major [Last Name] I want you to interview the students on campus after our talk with the Dean of Students."

You nod in agreement and make the effort to look more like a college student by taking off your blazer, unbuttoning a couple of buttons from your dress shirt, un-tucking it, and messing your [hair length, hair color] hair up a little. When your done you nod in satisfaction, and notice that they are all staring at you, "If they think I'm a college student it'll be more likely that they'll give me information." When Jason nods in understanding and walks away with Hotch, you decide to follow. Why do they all have to stare at you?

"This morning the Chemistry Department reported several bottles of highly flammable chemicals missing," a staff member says.

The team advises the Dean against evacuating the campus, because they might evacuate the arsonist too, who will just start the fires again when the campus re-opens. You leave after that and start looking for students to talk to, someone majoring in Chemistry preferably.

* * *

Hotch and Reid conclude that the arsonist isn't setting the fires for pleasure, so now they are lost on why the fires are being set. The staff members from earlier tell them that the water was turned off before the fires started, and explain to them how the fires were set.

"Motives for arson are relatively simple: there's vandalism, crime concealment, political statement, profit..."

"And revenge." Hotch finishes for Reid.

"...To the unsub, the victims aren't people, their objects," Jason says.

* * *

"Alright...I want to set a dormitory on fire." Derek says to himself as he walks around the Residence Hall. "Where would I start?" He looks above and notices foliage that has been decoratively draped on the rails, then looks back down. "In the basement," he concludes, "the upper levels would be fuel...But then why did I start on the third floor?"

He has a flashback to the video, "Because it wasn't the building I was trying to set on fire."

* * *

Spencer and Elle talk about the construction of the fires, "Chemical accelerant could mean chemistry student."

"It could also mean chemistry professor," Reid adds.

"I'd say student, you need self-confidence to lecture in front of a classroom of 30 college kids. Arsonists are socially incompetent. This guy doesn't go on dates, he doesn't go to parties, he doesn't feel comfortable in front of groups."

Spencer stares at Elle uncomfortably, "And, of course, he's a total psychopath," she says assuredly.

With an awkward nod he agrees.

* * *

You decide to introduce yourself as an exchange student from Spain, to weave off any suspicions students might have of never seeing you before. You go up to a random student who had just exited the building, a brunette with brown eyes.

"¿Perdón, usted habla español?" (Excuse me, do you speak spanish?) You say in fluent spanish.

"Nomas que he aprendido en la escuela secundaria. ¿En qué puedo ayudarle?" (Only what I have learned in high school. How may I help you?) She doesn't quite look at you in the eye.

"Busco el Departamento de Ciencia."(I'm looking for the Department of Science.)

"Ciencia? That's science, oh you're looking for the Science Department!" You nod gratefully, "Yo soy un estudiante de ciencia, te llevaré."(Science?...I'm a science student, I'll take you.)

"Gracias, mi nombre es Alex Garcia," (Thank you, my name is Alex Garcia), you introduce yourself with a small smile.

"Mi nombre es Clara Hayes," she smiles awkwardly back at you, "¿Nos vamos?"(My name is Clara Hayes...Let's go?)

* * *

"Serial arsonists enjoy manipulating authorities, they like to communicate, explain themselves. I'm not waiting to hear from a tipster or witness," Jason tells the Dean.

"You're waiting to hear from him."

Once she walks away from him, Jason zeroes in on his surroundings. A boy lighting up a cigarette, a girl not being able to get water from the water fountain. He observes the water fountain then pulls the fire alarm, "Everybody get out of the building!" He yells before he starts to run.

The building is on fire.

Jason runs faster and faster, trying to reach the voice. He uses the fire extinguisher to break the window open, trying desperately to save the person in the office. Morgan pulls him back, trying to stop Jason from risking his life for somebody who is already dead. Morgan drags him out of the building.

"Let me go, there was a teacher," Jason yells.

"Let it go," Morgan grabs Jason to look at him in the eyes, "He's already dead."

"Elle," Hotch calls her, "He might still be on the scene. Take pictures, as many as you can."

"You got it," she says and starts taking pictures of all the white males on the scene.

* * *

"The professor's name was Wallace?"

"It's a terrible loss," the Dean tells Gideon, "He was one of those teachers. He knew how to make a difference."

The evacuation of the campus is in progress, but there is fear that it may speed up the unsubs timeline.

"Let's round everybody up," Gideon says as he leaves with Elle.

"Dean Turner? Hi, I'm Jeremy. I'm one of the research assistants at the Science Department. We were talking, and, uh, we'd like to help."

"The best thing you can do right now is just stay-"

"We know how he did it."

* * *

"We've been at this all night and we've got nothing. Look at these expressions, we've got fear, a touch of horror, even a little bit of panic. Where's the guy getting off?" Derek says as he looks at the photos that Elle took of the crowd.

"When asked about his motive, Peter Dinsdale said, 'I am devoted to fire. Fire is my master,'" Reed states offhandedly.

"Okay so who's our boys master? There's 10,000 students and one has a serious fascination with fire."

"Fire starting is one third of the homicidal triad," Elle begins, "An early predictor of adult disassociative criminal behavior. If we looked in his childhood, we'd probably find all three. Bed-wetting and cruelty to animals."

"Absent or abusive father, problems with the opposite sex, chronic low self-esteem--M.O. would be dynamic," Jason points out. "Evolving as fire-setting escalates the thrive on panic, fear. It's just the standard profile of a serial arsonist."

"Based on hundreds of interviews," Reid says.

"We're off the mark," Hotch concludes.

Derek sighs, "Because of two missing elements: sex and power. The two motives that drive a serial arsonist.

"And without them we do not have a profile," Gideon says frustrated.

They all look at each other, everyone lost on what to do next. Gideon gets up to take a walk, "If anybody sees [Last Name] tell her to call me." When he leaves Derek, Reid, and Elle look at him strangely. Since when had he stopped calling [First Name] Major all together?

* * *

While the rest of the team is frustrated with their lack of progress, you are with Clara. She had showed you around the building a bit before taking you to where the other research assistants were working on their projects. You had stopped talking to Clara in Spanish but made sure to pronounce words incorrectly and to say them with a heavy accent. She made the assumption that you could understand English but not speak it very well.

"Umm...," she starts pulling at her hair nervously, "Do you mind me asking you for some advice on my project?"

While you never really have had an interest in sciences that involved beakers and screw drivers you had a few textbooks memorized from when you went to high school, college, and even when you were bored. So you figure there might be some input you are able to give. Your focus is solely on Clara, who is explaining her project to you, which is why you don't register when Hotch and Reid come in.

"Since you're more their age, why don't you do the talking," Hotch asks Reid.

"W-What," Reid starts looks around for a way to get out of it, "Look there's the Major, can't she do it?"

"They think she's one of them, we need that," Hotch tells him firmly. Then makes his way around the table, he has to let you know that Gideon wants to talk to you.

"Ahem. Hi-Hi, Guys. Uh, my name's, uh, Dr. Spencer Reid. I'm a, uh, Agent with the-the BAU, The Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI, which, uh, it used to be called the BSU..." Spencer starts rambling.

 _'What an awkward turtle,'_ you can't help but think _, 'And I thought I was bad, then again my anxiety and awkwardness doesn't often make an outward appearance.'_

"What he's trying to say is, we want to know how you can help us," Hotch finally comes to his rescue, throwing a look at you. Your back straightens out, you stand the way you would when a General would come in. Clara looks at you with a small amount of worry when she senses you stiffening up. You smile at her reassuringly and force yourself to relax. Now she's curious about what could have made you react like that.

Jeremy get up and asks Spencer for the light bulb in his hand, "See this?" He says holding up the light bulb, "Drill a hole in the side, fill it with gasoline or whatever is good and flammable. Turn the light on. Boom. That is what went down, isn't it?"

"That stuff's all over the net. Wanna know how to make a molotov cocktail that set's itself on fire?" Clara says and starts holds up her fingers as she lists off the ingredients, "Potassium, sulfur, and normal sugar--sugar--sugar, which is-"

 _'She held up her fingers to list off the ingredients, which wouldn't be abnormal if she hadn't hesitated on the third and said sugar three times. Her voice quivered too, like if she was going to freak out if she didn't keep saying it. She was rotating the ring on her finger I think it was three times,'_ you glance at Clara from the corner of you eye.

"Not exactly plutonium," Jeremy finishes for her, "You can get this stuff anywhere."

"And you don't need to be a chem major to know that," Hotch says to himself.

Hotch looks at you again like if he wants to tell you something, but it seems like he ultimately decided your cover was more important. Jeremy, Hotch, and Spencer all leave the room. You shrug it off but decide it's time to get an update from Gideon.

* * *

"This came into the hotline about five minutes ago," Penelope tells JJ then presses a button to play the recording.

_"You've reached the FBI tip hotline for the Bradshaw College fires."_

A distorted voice replies back, and sounds like it is saying Karen, _"Charown. I do this for Charown."_

* * *

"The tip was left using a payphone by Wallace's office five minutes before the fire began," Derek informs Gideon.

Before Jason can ask Derek to play it again his phone rings, he answers. "Hello?"

_"Gideon? It's [First Name] I called to get an update. I told Clara I was going to the bathroom so I've got about three minutes before it starts to look suspicious or she worries about me."_

"Worry about you? Why would she worry about you? [Last Name] you've only known her for a day." Jason says with curiosity.

_"I don't know, she doesn't seem to have any real friends. That's thirty seconds wasted, now info please."_

He can't help the amusement he feels, "We've got nothing, because the unsub doesn't seem to be motivated by sex and power. But he did leave a tip that sounds like he is saying, 'Karen. I do this for Karen.'"

_"If the unsub doesn't seem to fit the standard profile then you guys need to stop referring to them as male. At this point we have to start from scratch and that includes gender. Basically the only thing we know about the unsub is that they are doing it for Karen, and even then we are not sure because the voice, I'm assuming, is distorted. I wouldn't jump to conclusions and start looking for a Karen, give it to Garcia and see if she can make it clearer. Then take a few minutes to look at all the case files again. You're all probably missing something obvious again...My art professor used to say that if you put a label on what your drawing, it makes it more difficult to draw."_

"...Starting over and not labeling things. That's all ya got," he sighs.

_"Unfortunately. Things are coming up dry on my end too, arsonists can be profiled to have lower then average IQ's so I've been asking around trying to see if there are any science students who are failing. It seems that these girls aren't really into gossip...Gideon, remember in the video the doorknob kept turning?"_

"Yeah the unsub was trying to get into the dorm."

She sighs at him _"Were they? If the door is locked and you don't have a key why would you keep trying to open it? Why not try to break the lock or something?"_

"...We'll look at it. Stay sharp [Last Name]."

_"Bye sir."_

* * *

You hang up the phone and think about the things you have noticed about the girl you've been following around all day, _'Three fingers. Three ingredients. Three twists of the ring. Three times she said sugar...Clara has a fixation on the number three. An obsessive personality. Possibly OCD. If I can get some background info of her and she happens to have a childhood incident that involves fire then I may have a suspect...But for now it's speculation at best.'_

* * *

"I can put it through some audio filters," Penelope tells Morgan.

_"Look, we need as close to the real voice as you can get, anything that might be in the background. Can you do it?"_

"Okay, you know how on Star Trek when Captain Kirk asks McCoy to do something totally impossible, and McCoy says, 'Damn it, Jim, I'm a doctor not a miracle worker.'"

 _"Hey, what are you tellin' me, not to expect a miracle?"_ He pretends to be insulted.

"No, I'm saying I'm not a Doctor."

He laughs at her, _"That's my girl."_

* * *

"You broke up with her. No more necklace," Gideon tells the campus patrol kid.

"Yeah I, uh, kind of wanted to date somebody else."

"What's her name?"

"Brian."

"That's a pretty good reason, how'd she take it?"

The campus patrol kid chuckles, "She took it pretty well. Other then telling me that homosexuality is a sin and I'm going to incur the wrath of God."

"...Wrath of God," Jason seems to test the phrase and then runs down the hall.

* * *

"Okay, gorgeous, I've put this thing through every audio filter I've got. There's only one thing I can tell you for sure. This guy isn't saying Karen. It's more like Ka-Rone."

_"Garcia what the hell is Ka-Rone?" Derek says._

"If I figure it out, does it earn me a night of passionate lovemaking?"

 _"With Reid,"_ he laughs before he hangs up.

* * *

"Hey Reid, Garcia says it's not Karen. It's actually-"

"Charown. I do it because of Charown. It's god's burning anger," Jason comes in panting.

"The motive is now religious?" Elle asks with surprise.

The team start talking about different religions and how they are associated with fire. Derek even suggests they are looking for a Theology major, and he's probably punishing the other students for their sins. Jason pays no mind to them, instead he is writing quickly on the white board.

"[Last Name] certainly knows what she's talking about when she says we jump to conclusions," he whispers to himself, "Alright, alright. These are all good ideas but we have to stop jumping to conclusions. No referring to the unsub as he, we can't talk as if their male when they don't fit the serial arsonist profile. Religion might be a part of it, but it's not necessarily the primary compulsion."

"Gideon! Rush to conclusions, jump to conclusions. Who cares!" "We are running out of time." Derek and Elle yell.

"That's enough! Now [Last Name] pointed out earlier that the door knob kept turning. We assumed that the unsub was trying to get in, but why keep trying if it doesn't work? Why not break the lock or even the door?"

* * *

Spencer is re-watching the video of the fire being set off in the dorm, he understands why the Major had thought the doorknob turning was strange. But how was it strange? He looks at the white board and whispers to himself, "Outside the box."

Jason comes in, "Keep thinking, it's just like chess. Don't just look at the next move, try to think three moves ahead," he says encouragingly before he leaves.

Spencer watches the video again and zoom in, he notices that the turning isn't frantic or desperate, it's calm with time intervals in between.

"Three times," he says to himself before he leaves the room and walks to where the latest fire was. He wipes off the ash of Professor Wallace's office, his office was the third. Spencer goes into the office and looks for the Professor's schedule.

"Professor Wallace: Tuesday, 3:00."

Spencer rushes to were the other members of the team are, "I know why the profile never fits. You were right to tell Morgan not to rely on precedent, the fires thus far have been completely task oriented."

Hotch asks, "So once they're set, the unsub is done?"

"Exaclty, the unsub is not a classical serial arsonist. They're somebody who uses fire because of a completely different disorder."

"Which is?" Gideon says curiously.

"An extreme manifestation of OCD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. They do everything in threes and if I'm right they'll have to kill again."

* * *

"There's a form of OCD called Scrupulosity, religious obsession and compulsion. An obsessive fear of committing sin, which creates so much anxiety that they are compelled to do something to ease that anxiety," Spencer explains.

"Like setting fires," Hotch says.

Jason rubs his eyes, "A fixation of some sort, but where's the behavioral evidence?"

Reid shows him the video of the doorknob turning, he explains that the unsub wasn't trying to get in but rather was compelled to turn the doorknob three times. Jason questions why three fires weren't set off at the same time. Spencer says it's because they were in a trinity of threes.

"The first fire occurred on March 3rd," Spencer reminds them.

"3 pm, third day, third month," Jason says in understanding.

"It's that convergence of threes that causes the overwhelming anxiety. Obsessive compulsives ease that anxiety by performing the compulsion."

Jason and Hotch continue to ask for more evidence so Spencer tells them of the patterns he noticed. The Professor having office number 3, having class on Tuesdays (the third day of the week), and that it was Mathew Rolland's third class of the day.

Spencer states, "The fires before Mathew Rolland died were all failures and that's why nobody died before."

Aaron gets up from his seat and starts walking slowly around the room in thought.

"What is it?" Gideon says.

"I think I know who it might be...[Last Name] might be in trouble."

* * *

Derek, Elle, and another officer go to Clara's off-campus apartment. There they find many quotes of religion that relate to fire. There's even a picture of Charon, the ferryman of Hades, on the wall.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Derek tells Reid through the phone, "[Last Name] has been with the unsub the entire time."

* * *

A newspaper article is printed out, it seems that Clara was a survivor of a house fire at the age of 16, her house number being 333. The mother told the journalist that her daughter was being tested by God and that she came out blessed.

"Security is going to check out the science building," the Dean says.

"Where else would she be?" Jason asks.

The air around the team is a little tense, everyone being worried for [First Name] even though it's only the second case she has worked with them on. They become even more anxious when Derek discovers all that homemade bombs in Clara's apartment.

"We need to find the next pattern of threes, can't we just call [Last Name]?" Spencer asks.

"We've already tried, she won't answer. Everyone else look for the next pattern of threes and go through the buildings to pull all the fire alarms. Dammit! Where are the blueprints?!" Jason yells.

* * *

You come back from the bathroom and find that Clara isn't there, she left you a note that says she forgot something at her apartment and that you should leave. You find it strange, why would she want you to leave when you could just wait for her here? It's not like she wasn't coming back. You shrug it off, looking it as an opportunity to get some information out of the other research assistants.

"Sooo, how long have you all known Clara?" You say with your fake accent and pronouncing Clara as if you were saying clear in Spanish.

Jeremy is the one to answer you, seems like he's decided he needs a breather from his project. "Not much, she doesn't really talk and all of us aren't exactly friends. Her mom is crazy religious though, she came here a few months ago to remind Clara that a blessed child doesn't flunk out of school."

You blink, "She's flunking? How is she a research assistant then?"

"This project can save her grade."

 _'This project is on gravitational pull, fuck, that's the three-body problem isn't it. How did I not notice that before? Oh yeah, her work intrigued me. Flunking out of school, another tick off my profile. It's still just speculation but I shouldn't take the chance,'_ you think to yourself.

"Everybody get your stuff, we're leaving. Now."

"Hell no I'm not leaving. I have too much to do," Jeremy says firmly.

You take out your badge and in perfect English order, "FBI, Agent [Last Name], given the information you provided Clara Hayes is a suspect in this investigation. She knows where we are and you three need to vacate the premises now!"

They didn't need telling twice as they frantically start collecting their stuff. Jeremy is the one who starts heading towards the elevator until you stop him, "What are you, stupid? I tell you your in danger of being set on fire and you try to take the elevator?!"

You ignore Jeremy's moment of absolute stupidity, grab your completely-not-approved-for-on-field-use 9mm Glock 26 that was concealed in a holster you had around your waist, and lead them to the staircase with your gun pointed straight in front of you. They get the message to be as quiet as possible and the four of you make it to the third floor with no problem.

"Make yourselves flat against the wall, I'm going to peak through the window to see if Clara is there. She has an obsession with threes so it makes sense that she would be there," you tell them in barley a whisper.

The three students nod at you, knowing not to speak since they are not trained to speak so low. You press yourself against the wall and scoot as close to the door window as possible. You turn your head enough to see through it and sure enough there is Clara in front of the elevator doors with a bag across her chest. You turn around quickly, before Clara feels your eyes on her.

"She's there," they look at you with fear, "Don't worry I won't let anything happen to you three. I'm going to go out there and distract her, meanwhile you three will keep on going to the main floor. Once you get there pull the fire alarm then exit the building."

They nod at you again. You feel this uncomfortable weight in your chest, making it hard to breathe. Your cheeks start to warm and dammit you need to get a hold of yourself right now! So you take a deep breath, ignoring the part of you that is screaming you should be getting away from the killer. You put away your gun and open the door.

* * *

"Jason, wait. Wait, wait, wait, wait," Hotch stops Gideon, "Clara Hayes is very likely a good person. Someone who never wanted to do anyone any harm like any other rational person. But there's nothing rational about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder."

"Research suggests OCD involves problems in communication between the frontal part of the brain and the orbital cortex. Plus deep structures. The basal ganglia," Spencer explains.

"You can't reason with her because you can't reason with a psychological problem. She's not setting these fires because she wants to, but because she has to."

Jason looks almost insulted, "What are you trying to say?"

"Don't try to convince her to stop, because you won't be able to and [Last Name]'s life might be at risk."

Jason can only nod in response, knowing that if the circumstances were different it would be something he would do.

* * *

You walk out the door, making sure to only open it enough for you to slip through and fake a smile when Clara sees you. Her eyes are wide almost wild looking. This is going to escalate quickly.

"Clara there you are," you say slipping back into your fake accent.

Her pupils are dilated and her hands are shaking, "W-What are you doing here Alex? I thought I told you to leave and where are the other th-three?"

You wave your hand in dismissal, "They left way before I did. You left your work all scattered about so I decided to clean it up for you before I left."

She starts shaking even more and puts her hands on her head, "N-No, no, no, no, no! I was supposed to help them! I was supposed to save them! God chose them! Chose them.. chose them...I must atone...atone...atone for my failure."

She puts her bag down and starts taking out three bottles. "Father, son, holy ghost," she says one every time she takes out a bottle.

"Clara, what are you doing?" It's a stupid question, because you know what she's doing but you're keeping up the act.

"You know Alex, you're the third person in college to ever be nice to me. And my first...my first...my first friend. You will atone your sins with me."

The fire alarm goes off.

She starts pouring gasoline over the both of you. You know you should have ran, you know you should have shot her as soon as you came out the door but you didn't. Because the fires and the deaths aren't her fault, she's being controlled by her mental illness and you know how that's like. You're anxiety is building up, ' _Idon'twannadielikethis. Idon'twannadielikethis. Idon'twannadielikethis.'_ You feel that weight in your chest again, the suffocation and helplessness. Despite you're internal struggle, you're fighting her. Trying to grab the bottle, using your FBI training and battle instincts to pin her against the wall, but your hands are slippery from the gasoline so she easily escapes your grasp then pushes you against the other wall. You hit your head and she takes the advantage to sit on top of you with a lighter held in her hand.

"C-Clara. I know that you don't actually want to hurt anybody that your mental illness is controlling you. I know what it's like so I know you can't control it because it's a part of you. So let me tell you this one thing, you were my first friend too," you tell her, still remembering to use your fake accent.The statement wasn't fake though.

She seems to hesitate for a split second before placing her thumb on the sparkwheel, "I have to do this or else something terrible will happen." Clara is shot in the arm before she can light it. You look to where the bullet came from and let yourself relax. Jason and Hotch just saved you.

* * *

The paramedics wanted to take you to the hospital but you assured them there was no reason to. All you have is some bruises and that bump on the back of the head that they had already made sure isn't a concussion. They are making you sit for a while on the back of the ambulance with a "safety blanket" to "come to terms with what just happened."

Jeremy and the two other girls that were with him walk up to you.

"I would stop right there if I were you three, I'm in desperate need of a shower," you wrinkle your nose as the smell of gasoline hits you. Although the paramedics gave you some wet cloths and privacy to clean off the liquid, there is nothing you can do about your hair or clothes. You are going to wash it when you get on the jet. In your mind you send a quick thank you to no one specifically for the fully equipped shower on the jet.

Jeremy, always being the spokesman, thanks you. "You risked your life for the three of us."

"Don't be ridiculous, it was you three who saved my life," you scoff at them, "Hotch told me that after you pulled the fire alarm you guys actually went around the whole campus looking for an officer. Thank you."

"We-We were wondering if we could get your contact info," he says and the other two nod behind him. "Just to give you updates on how we are and stuff."

They look at you with something akin to admiration, which is strange because you don't think you're older then them by very much. Nevertheless you tell them, "I'd like that," and smile.

* * *

You get on the jet before everybody else and go to the shower right away, bringing your bag with your extra set of clothes with you.

"You know, I figured it out. The stutter," Elle says with a smirk to Gideon as she throws her bag on the floor of the jet.

"You know why the Footpath Killer stuttered?" Gideon asks.

"When you and Hotch were talking with [Last Name] earlier that's when I got it. I was going to hang around her for a while but she went undercover. Anyways, you three talked to her about how she was stalling Clara...Well, that's it isn't it? The Footpath Killer. You were just trying to stall him. You said, 'I know why you stutter,' because you were buying time. You were stalling. But you don't really know why he stuttered."

"I don't?"

Elle says with full confidence, "I looked it up, no one does."

"The major had the same answer when I asked if she could figure out why he stuttered although I think what she specifically said was, 'Don't act so bloody mysterious, you were just trying to stall for time.'

...I'll tell you what I do know about a stutter. I know how to provoke one."

* * *

Jason is backed up against a door way by the cashier, "The key," he orders Jason to get it. Jason does and uses it to open the door. In the room there is a board with pictures of thirteen bodies.

"We only found six," Jason tells him.

"Are you impressed?"

"Yeah, I didn't know you could count. Our profile said you'd be too stupid. We also said you'd be a chronic bed-wetter."

The cashier loads the rifle with anger, "You-Y-Y-Yo-Y..."

"What?"

"Th-Th-Th-The cam-"

"I don't know what you're trying to say."

"You take th-the cam-the cam-the cam."

Jason laughs at him, "I'm sorry, I have no idea what you're trying to say. "

"You take-you take the cam-the cam-the cam."

"Say it. Just spit it out," Jason tells him before he wrestles the rifle out of the cashier's grip and hits him with it. "Come on!"

* * *

_Faulkner once said, "Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself."_

* * *

Spencer looks at the chessboard in front of him and with a small smile says, "Check in three."

You have just come out of a very long shower and are using a towel to dry your [hair length, hair color] hair. Jason sees you and motions you over, "Move a chess piece for me," he tells you.

You roll your eyes, move his rook over one space to the right and then take Reid's white bishop, "Checkmate."

"Don't worry, you're getting there," Jason tells Reid as he puts the chest pieces away.

Reid puffs his cheeks out, frustrated. You giggle at his pout, _'What a dork.'_ Your giggle catches his attention, he looks at you curiously.

"Okay team," Hotch stands up, "I know this was a hard case but we have another one to solve. I want Spencer, Derek, and Elle to build a profile on [First Name] right now."

"What's this, some kind of pop quiz?" Derek says.

"Something like that," Hotch tries holding back a chuckle.

"Alright. She has [hair color] hair, [eye color] eyes, [skin color] skin, and is of [ethnicity/race] decent. She's looks to be about Reid's age, 25 at most. She was a Major in the Army, which says she's good at taking orders and she's good at giving them. Her posture is always straight and her clothes are pressed, so she signed up for the academy right when her four years were up," Derek tells Hotch with a smile, almost treating it like a game.

Elle talks about it in a similar way, "She landed an internship at the BAU, that's a hard thing to do. So that means she must but the first in her class for everything, and that includes physical and ballistic classes. She's good at chess, makes moves without thinking about it so she probably played it a lot during her childhood, maybe taught by a parent. She thinks differently then we do, tries to stay away from the standard profiles. How she pegged Slessman as a submissive and what she said about arsonist usually having a fixation of some sort leads me to believe that she has a degree in Psychology."

Spencer takes it much more seriously, "[Last Name] is especially observant without missing obvious details. She went under cover as an exchange student from Spain so she knows more then one language. She knew the Hebrew meaning of Gideon so either she has looked at baby names before or she has knowledge on a variety of subjects or she knows Hebrew. She was also able to help the research assistants with their project of gravitational pull, therefore although she may not have gotten a degree in that sort of science she has vast knowledge on it. She stalled Clara by sympathizing with her, proof of mental disorder, perhaps PTSD from her time in the Army. Although she shows no indication of that so most likely something more subtle like anxiety or depression," it takes him a few seconds to realize he probably shouldn't have blurted out her disorder out loud," I-I-I'm-"

You give him a gentle smile, "It's alright Dr. Reid."

Your response makes him blush, because no one has ever reacted like that when he says something he shouldn't. You just look so kind and understanding in this moment, that he doesn't really know what to think and his face just heats up.

You are impressed by the three, although you could do without Spencer laying out your anxiety in the open. But you can't really blame him for it. You've spent only a few hours with him in total for these two case but you know what it means when someone becomes fixated on things, misses social cues, and is just awkward. Plus you were a god damn Psychology major, of course you know that Spencer has Asperger's syndrome. So you won't shut him up, and you won't let anyone else shut him up. It's not his fault, just like it wasn't Clara's fault.

"That was pretty good you three," Jason says with an approving tone.

"Alright," Hotch looks at you, "Why don't you introduce yourself."

You take a breathe and smile at the three Agents, "I am [Full Name], 23 now but turning 24 soon. I graduated from high school at age 12. I have an IQ of 189, an eidetic memory, and am able to read 21000 words per minutes. I also have chromesthesia, which allows me to identify some sounds with color, for me it is usually triggered by music. I was deployed at age 19 and by then I had a BA in Visual and Performing Arts, Psychology, and Philosophy. A law degree from Yale, and two PhD's in Child Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience. I quit the Army once my four years of required service were up with the rank of Major and decided to sign up for the FBI Academy. I was the first in my class for every course. I have been playing chess since my childhood, but I taught myself to play. I was orphaned at the age of 5 and with no other relatives I was put in the Foster Care system, the chessboard was the one thing of my parents I was allowed to have. I know bits and pieces of different languages but there are three that I am fluent in: Spanish, English, and Latin. Hebrew being one of the languages I know bits and pieces of, so no I haven't looked at baby names before. Because of my memory I do have knowledge on a variety of subjects which is how I was able to help Jeremy and the others with their project. And I have what is known as high-functioning anxiety which gives me the outward appearance of normal, however it's much different on the inside. Oh and I'm not an intern, I'm a member of the BAU Department recruited personally by SES Strauss."

By the time you're done they are all looking at you strangely even Jason and Hotch. Likely because you gave some details that aren't on your file like your anxiety and your status as an orphan. Those details being excluded from your file and left up to you on whether you wanted to tell the team or not. The staring is making you uncomfortable though so you decide to go to sleep, "Okay, I'm going to take the bedroom again then." You tell them as you walk away.

"Amazing," Spencer whispers.

"She's like Reid, but a girl," Derek says.

"No," Spencer looks at him with wide eyes, "She's better then me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Although the end pairing is you and Reid, you will have sexual exploits and possibly even short term relationships with others. Not with other BAU members though. I did say this was slow burn.


	3. Won't Get Fooled Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The BAU goes to Palm Beach to investigate a serial bomber who turns out to be a copy cat of Adrian Bale; a bomber who is responsible for killing six FBI Agents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters have been edited, re-read to see the changes.

"Clurman's was the second bombing this morning, both in residential neighborhoods in Palm Beach. Homeland Security and ATF want a threat assessment in addition to a profile," Hotch informs Gideon.

"Is the media on it?"

"Of course, JJ is keeping tags on that. Morgan hooked up with ATF, they're sending pictures of bomb fragments as they find them."

Morgan shows Gideon the bombs with pictures, "The other picture in your hand is of the switch that ATF found. Same mechanism for both bombs, mercury activated."

"There are contacts to a detonator on either end of a bent tube full of mercury," says Spencer.

"Basically all you have to do is tilt the package for it to explode," you say as you walk in. "So the bomber had to give it themself."

"Strange way to commit an act of terrorism. Why go through all the trouble for a couple of people?" Hotch comments.

Gideon nods, "Let's recommend not raising the terror alert level for now. No reason to spread panic."

JJ comes in and turns on the tv, telling them that news coverage is spreading. On the news another explosions goes off while the reporter tries to cover herself. "Looks like we're going to Palm Beach, let's meet at the airstrip in 20," Hotch says and everyone starts rushing.

Hotch and Derek argue about Derek staying behind to take a look at the bombing fragments, as he is the only one with an ATF background. Derek states his worries for Gideon and Aaron scolds him.

* * *

_Samuel Johnson wrote, "Almost all absurdity of conduct arises from the imitation of those whom we cannot resemble."_

* * *

"Bombings occurred within three miles of each other. The first victim was a 74-year-old widow, Barbara Keller. Two hours after that Clurman got hit in his driveway and 45 minutes later, well we all saw that. Jill Swenson, 34-year-old housewife who lived across the street from Clurman. Of the 3, only Clurman survived. There's one connection, Clurman was a partner in a 10 million condom development deal in which Keller was an investor and a few weeks ago the whole deal went bust," Hotch gives them information on the case.

"Got bust how?" Elle asks.

"Geologists discovered that the land was on methane, the condos never got built, the land became worthless, and Clurman lost a lot of people a lot of money."

Spencer contemplates, "So maybe one of them was mad enough to take aim at Clurman."

"It's too early to determine that," you say as you read the case file.

Gideon nods in agreement, "It's best to start from the beginning. What do we know about bombers?"

"Mostly male, loners, history of criminal activity. About 50% of all bombings are actually the product of vandalism," Reid answers.

"And more often then not bombers end up accidentally blowing themselves up, so the first suspects you always look for in the bombing case are the victims," Hotch adds.

Elle looks at Gideon, "Clurman was the only male. Losing a large business deal like that it could be a powerful stressor."

"That is if these bombings have anything to do at all with the business deal. Which is unlikely considering there is only one connection," you state. Elle looks offended and you quickly put down your head. "I-I mean it could still be right, how-however considering there's only one connection through the business deal it doesn't seem logical. The bom-bomber could just be trying to throw us off."

Gideon is looking at you with worry, having heard the stutter and knowing that your anxiety is acting up. You don't notice as you are trying to calm yourself, but you can feel Elle's hostility towards you like a cold blanket. Your face grows hot in shame, you hadn't meant to insult her but you did and now the rest of the team probably dislikes you. You quickly get up and go to the bathroom.

This is why you don't talk, this is why you keep your thoughts to yourself. But since you've been with the team Jason and Aaron have been receptive to your thinking, encouraging even. And you weren't wrong in both cases, in fact you helped. So you purposefully pitched in your own two cents in the team meeting. It was a mistake.

 _'Stay quiet, no one will know your wrong, no one will know what's wrong with you,'_ you chant in your mind over and over again. These words you've told yourself since you were young.

When [First Name] leaves Hotch immediately reprimands Elle, "Agent Greenaway, as you and [Last Name] are both new to this team I understand that you might feel a sort of competitiveness towards her. However it is one sided as she is only here to do her job and learn, as you should be. She is a part of this team and her opinion should be valuable to you like everybody else's, not seen as an attempt to make you look bad. With her disorder I doubt she has or will ever try to make anyone look bad. I do not want to see this happen again."

Elle just nods, feeling sufficiently guilty as she remembers how uncomfortable her fellow teammate looked when Gideon had stated the Footpath Killer challenge. That one was more in good fun though and this time Elle had made it ugly with her own pride.

Gideon sighs, "[Last Name] has a point, not only is there only one connection but Clurman was the only victim who didn't get hit at his door. What makes this one so different?"

* * *

You don't exit the bathroom until you land at Palm Beach. In fact you don't make any eye contact at all even when you arrive at the crime scene.

Hotch looks at the victim's black car, "Before Clurman passed out, what he told cops at the time was that he saw the package sitting on the stoop outside his kitchen door."

The team has suspicions of Clurman being the bomber, although you don't think that someone who had already placed three sensitive bombs would accidentally blow themself up. Gideon calls to get a warrant for Clurman's house.

* * *

Morgan receives the bomb fragments from the Palm Beach Police. Garcia questions why he has to put it back together in the first place.

"Alright I'm about to teach you something so pay attention," Morgan tells her.

"Oh, it's like school," she mutters.

"Look, how these thing are put together can tell you how to unsub thinks. This section of pipe used to be part of the cap, it screwed onto these threads. But see here's the thing, it had to be done very carefully because even if one tiny grain of powder got onto those threads while he was working that little bit of friction would have ignited the bomb. Now, he didn't have to use a powder that fine. He didn't have to use threaded caps and he didn't even have to use a steel pipe, and it would have been a whole lot safer if he hadn't. But the bomb wouldn't have been nearly as deadly. So what does that tell you about our unsub?"

Penelope jokes, "He's one sick puppy."

"Yeah, one sick puppy that aims to kill. Not scare, not vandalize, or make some kind of political statement. Kill." Morgan continues to unpack the bomb fragments.

* * *

Detective Morrison introduces himself to Hotch, "I'm lead on the case."

"Nice to meet you this is Agent Greenaway," Hotch gestures over to Elle. "Agents Reid, Gideon, and [Last Name] are over at the hospital. I think you met Agent Jareau at the station house."

"Oh yeah she's taken over the place."

Ella laughs a bit, "She does that."

Hotch states that they haven't found any evidence. Mrs. Clurman comes home and Aaron has to delicately explain to her why they are there. Suddenly a crime scene investigator states that they found something buried behind the shelves. When they open the tool box there is a book called The Anarchist's Companion.

* * *

At the hospital Gideon is questioning Clurman. You don't tell them that it's a waste of your time, you don't think Clurman is meticulous enough to have made that bomb. From what you know a bomb like that had to be made very carefully.

Clurman explains that the thought the package was a pot for an orchid that he wanted for his office. He goes on to talk about how awful he felt about the deal going through. He had thought the geologist was legit but he was a scammer and a lot of people lost money because of him. One of those being Barbara Keller.

"It was such a shame. She was such a nice lady. It was such an easy sale. Sometimes...I felt like I took advantage of her because she's old and lonely. Now she's dead and I feel terrible. Ow!"

"His foot," you say, "It's hurting him."

Gideon goes to get some help. Leaving you and Reid behind. You look at Clurman, "If she was as lonely as you think she was she likely didn't even care if you were taking advantage of her. Even if it was with bad intentions, at least you kept her company. Those were probably some of her favorite memories before she died."

"Thank you."

Gideon comes back after that and you divert your attention back to him, not noticing the surprise look Reid is giving you. While they are leaving the hospital Gideon calls Hotch to tell them Clurman wasn't their guy, something you could have told them since the beginning. Of course they still need evidence to clear him.

* * *

Elle finds a picture of Clurman with his nephew from Texas, he had been visiting them and left last week. They don't think the kid is the unsub but kids their age do like to blow stuff up.

* * *

"You know, a watched bomb never assembles," Garcia tells Morgan.

"I'm down to the last few piece and for the life of me I can't figure out how they fit together or if they fit together. They might not even be part of the bomb at all."

Garcia, who is play a puzzle game on her DS isn't really paying attention, "What's the big deal? You got most of it, I'd give you a B+."

Morgan laughs, "Thanks. The big deal is that it could be part of his signature. Signature is the thing that they get off on, like a flourish. You know a certain kind of pipe, a certain mix of powders. Like the Unabomber, he always used something wooden. I don't know, these guys they think they are artists or something. So they sign their work."

"And you think that by putting these last pieces together you might find the signature?"

"Sometimes the design is unique, so when it's completed we can compare it to other exemplars in our evidence database and see if the bomb was built by somebody we already came across."

Garcia figures it out thanks to her Tetris skills and Morgan knows who designed the bomb, the problem being that the man is doing life in prison. Morgan hurries to the phone.

* * *

Once Reid sees the pictures of the bomb he comments that they are similar to Adrian Bale's.

"He held our agents in a standoff in Boston last year. He took out six agents and a hostage with one of his bombs," Hotch says.

With Bale being in prison they theorize that it is one of his fans who is conducting the bombings.

"Bale is too smart," Gideon comments, "If you want information from him you have to handle him carefully and even then you have to assume that road will lead nowhere. Let us handle Bale. Proceed from the profile."

"I didn't know we had a profile," Detective Morrison says.

"[Last name] deliver the profile," Hotch says.

"Yes sir," you tell him although your not really sure of yourself. In front of the team and the Palm Beach Police Department you give the profile you had been making. "Bombers are non-confrontational, this man would apologize for things that aren't even his fault. With the bomb being as sensitive as it is and their placement we know that he is highly organized, meticulous, so he has above average intelligence as well. He probably works in an isolated environment, a skilled job that allows him to build a bomb without raising suspicion. He doesn't necessarily have a background in explosions, as the unsub is aiming to kill. These attacks are not random, his bombs are made to kill and his victims were picked by him. He is bombing for profit or to conceal a crime, if we find the connection we find the bomber."

Hotch comes up from behind you and thanks the police department, "If you have any questions please come to us."

Gideon puts a hand on your shoulder, "Good job [Last Name]."

You smile, "Thank you sir."

Gideon leaves to interview Bale.

* * *

Elle, JJ, and Aaron are looking for someone connected to the three victims when Morgan calls.  He tells them that the bomber is forging Bale's bombs and MO of writing the addresses with block letters in blue ink. JJ leaves to hold a press conference once Morgan hangs up. Hotch gets another call from someone of the agency to confirm if they are ready to make a deal if they have to, he is insistent that there has to be another way.

* * *

At the U.S. Penitentiary, Gideon is talking with Adrian Bale about the Palm Beach Bomber. Bale taunts Gideon by telling him that he had trusted him.

"I didn't trust you. I made an error. I calculated that you wouldn't do it and you did," Gideon says.

Bale leans on his arms, "Here's what I think. Sending those agents into that warehouse, it just doesn't make any sense. I mean I've read your book. I had all those things--What did you call it? Umm... A homicidal triad. I even came from a broken family, classic sociopath. SO when I had the chance to kill six agents plus a hostage, I mean, just because I gave myself up doesn't mean I was finished with those people. I still had the remote. You...You should have known that. And the emotional release I would feel by pressing that button...Well that was just a little too overwhelming to pass up. Why didn't your search me before sending those agents in? Why didn't you do your job, Agent Gideon?"

* * *

You and Hotch arrive at a house were a blonde woman and child are on the porch.The mother is encouraging the daughter to keep holding on to the box. You watch in fear as Detective Morrison uses an adjustable table to hold up the bomb so that the little girl can let go without being killed. When he does it successfully the ATF quickly move the mother and child out of the way.

* * *

Back in the prison Gideon tells Hotch he is going to tell Bale that the bomber is using his designs, that way he will want to get involved. Reid stays behind to check if Bale has had any contact with the outside world.

* * *

At the police station Elle says that she might have found something, "Barbara Keller was having trouble insuring some coins she bought. The insurance company thought they might be fake."

"So the insurance company is blowing up annoying clients?"

Internally you wince at Aaron's comment, if it was you you would have been utterly devastated. But Elle is far more different then you. You have a temper but you don't show an attitude, your good at reading people but not at connecting with people, you are very sensitive but mostly come off cold. You admire her for being everything that you are not, but you also know that your accomplishments make her feel inferior. That's something you've always hated about your talents.

"What if someone sold her those fake coins?" Elle continues, "She's on to him, he shuts her up. Barbara Keller told the insurance company she thought they might be worth $12,000."

Hotch nods, "All right. Do you have any idea who sold her the coins?"

"No, but she had an appointment with a coin dealer scheduled. I'm guessing to challenge the insurance company's appraisal. A guy named David Walker. He can probably help us figure out who sold her the coins."

 _'If he's a coin dealer, he could have sold her the coins._ _That conclusion wasn't so out of reach so why didn't anybody else think of it?'_ You shrug off your thoughts before deciding to do a little digging on David Walker.

* * *

The phone rings and Garcia answers, "Office of Supreme Genius Puzzle Solver. Do you have a riddle for me?"

Reid says, _"I found out Bale has been accessing the internet by getting around a fire wall that's set up on a prison library computer. The guy even has an email address."_

"Wow, sneaky bastard."

_"Yeah he's headed to the library right now, maybe to contact the unsub. Now is there a way to possibly monitor his keystrokes while he's online?"_

"I can send him a virus but he'll have to open the email for it to work."

_"Let's do it. The subject line has to be something that will make him feel in control."_

"Ahh I got something," Penelope grins. She types in: Sexy willing teen hot for inmate XXX. While waiting for Bale to open the email Garcia gets another call and presses the button for three-way calling.

 _"Uhh...Hello? Is this Penelope Garcia,"_ you say without assurance.

 _"Is that [Last Name]?"_ Reid asks.

_"Oh um...Hello...Dr. Reid. Yeah it's me."_

Penelope giggles a bit to herself, "Okay my two awkward ducklings. What is it that you need [First Name]?"

Your a bit surprised by her use of your first name, _"Oh well umm...Agent Greenaway found out that Barbara Keller had an appointment with a coin dealer named David Walker and I need some more information on him."_

Reid says curiously, _"Do you think he can be the unsub?"_

_"Well she was trying to get some coins insured but the insurance company thought they might be fake, which is why she had an appointment with Walker. Since he's a coin dealer I figured that he could have been the one to sell her the coins."_

"Wow that's like so simple I wouldn't think of it," Penelope says almost dreamily. "Alright I gotcha Supreme Genius Puzzle Solver [Last Name]. Oh look Bale opened up the email...He's posting to a messenger board at naughtyhobbies.net. Looks like some sort of site for bomb enthusiasts:

To all my friends out there...BEWARE.

They are ONTO YOU.

...Okay so I'll look at everybody's name who's been on the messenger for the past month while looking at Walker's life story."

 _"Okay fax the names,"_ Reid hangs up.

After a while of typing Garcia starts talking, "Alright David Walker. Spent four years in prison in his early twenties for forged checks. Now works as an antiquities dealer and runs a store that sells maps, coins, and historical documents."

_"That's it! Thanks Garcia!"_

"Wait! What's it, is he the unsub? [First Name]!" she says desperately only then noticing you had hung up.

* * *

 _"186 emails. Through the ISP, we were able to track down the names and some of the addresses, but none of them were in Palm Beach,"_ Spencer tells Gideon over the phone.

"How about occupations?"

_"It wasn't a required field, so really, only about 1/3 of them are filled in."_

"Well, the unsub takes pride in his work. He would fill it in," Gideon says while drying his face.

_"You're right. Let's see we have trucker, physician, antiquities dealer , store owner, orderly..."_

Gideon stops Spencer, "Wait. Antiquities dealer?"

_"Yeah, why what is it?"_

Just then Gideon phone rings, "Hold on a second Reid. [Last Name]?"

_"David Walker! He's an antiquities dealer. He sold Barbara Keller those fake coins and when she was on to him he killed her then killed the others to throw us off!"_

"[Last Name] your brilliant," he says.

* * *

Elle is getting her bag to go to David Walker's house, "No wait!" You stop her. She looks at you strangely. "I know who the unsub is!" She follows you to where Hotch is so that you can brief them both.

You set down a file in front of Hotch, "David Walker. Fits the profile and checked with Gideon and Reid that he was on the messenger board."

Hotch almost smiles at you, "Let's go."

* * *

At Walker's house Elle is talking with Mrs. Walker, she tells her that her husband spends a lot of time in the garage. She leads Elle and the ATF team to the garage, not really believing that her husband is the bomber but not being able to deny them as they have a warrant. Aaron notes that David isn't there so he calls Morrison to start a county-wide search for the car and have the uniforms try to find out where his haunts are.

You, Aaron, and Hotch go into the garage. "Well the organized part is right," Hotch comments.

You look at an object on the table that has wires coming out of it, "That's for electroplating." You pick up the pliers that have a coin in it, "This is how he was forging the coins."

"He was using this to build up the metal so he could change the dates of the coins," your boss elaborates.

Elle nods, "To increase the value."

A police officer calls them over to where Walker has a clipping of an article of Adrian Bale. Bale is circled and underneath he wrote: the best. Elle takes off a tarp from Walker's work space revealing that he was working on something.

Thinking about how Bale blew up six of their agents Aaron tells the police officer, "Make sure Morrison tells your officers that this guy is smart, dangerous, and he has absolutely nothing to lose."

* * *

Together Morgan and Garcia go through Walker's emails to see if there is any indication of where he could have gone.

* * *

"So far nothing from the search. We raided his store as soon as you gave us Walker's name," Morrison tells you and the team, "Most of the inventory was fake. Forgeries valued in the millions."

"Well the walls were starting to close in on him. We talked to some of his clients, and he was in debt up to his ears and promising stuff he didn't have time to forge," Aaron says.

Elle adds, "Then Barbara Keller finds out that the coins he had sold her were fake. She threatened to out him."

"And if she had, all the forgeries would have been discovered and he would have done 20 years."

"Yeah me and [Last Name] talked about this. He shut her up and planted all those bombs to kill one little old lady. He was throwing us off by making it seem much bigger then it was," Gideon says.

A man comes into the police station, "Please, help me," he says before opening his sweater to reveal a bomb. The police department take out their weapons.

"Stop it! This man is a victim!" You yell when you see the fear the man has at seeing all these weapons pointed at him. "He came here for help, not to blow the place up! Everybody out!" You roar in your military voice. For some reason the police do what you say. Morrison, Elle, Gideon, and Hotch stay behind. "What did he tell you?" You ask the hostage.

"H-He said that if I go out he'll kill me. Please. It isn't me...I don't know who it is, he held a gun to me and put this on me. He said you know who he is...He wants a helicopter, a passport, and a flight. He's watching. once he gets what he wants he's got instructions to defuse the bomb.

...Help me."

You see that Morrison has his gun still pointed at the victim and glare at him hotly, "Walker is still around, get one of those pointed at him. In other words. Point. The. Bloody. Gun. Somewhere. Else." He slowly does point the gun down and then uses his walkie talkie to order the department to get snipers on the roof. The man with the bomb strapped to him relaxes the tiniest bit.

"Please take it off," he says.

"I won't leave you until we do, but first we have to figure out how it's made."

Morrison takes pictures of the bomb and the rest of the team go off. "Be careful [Last name]," Hotch says to you.

You snort, "I think we all have to be little careful no?"

Despite the situation Gideon and Hotch can't help but chuckle. Elle looks at them as if they were strangers. The team discuses the bomb with Morrison and it turns out that the bomb is so sophisticated that trying to cut the whole thing off could lead to it exploding. With one look from Gideon you know that this will take much longer then you probably have time for.

"We have to isolate you. Taking off the bomb will take longer then we think. But I specialized in bombs when I was in the military, so l won't leave you. Just like I promised."

The man nods, crying.

* * *

There's no time so the Major does end up sitting in the cage with the hostage with little argument, although Gideon and Hotch aren't happy about it.

"I don't get it," Elle says, "If this guy's a hostage, then why hasn't Walker tried to negotiate with us?"

"Maybe he's scared, or maybe he hasn't figured out what his next move is," Hotch says.

"We have a location on Walker," Morrison informs them. "Sniper spotted him in his scope. He's sitting in an office building across the street. It looks like a storage room with a small window facing us."

Hotch decides to take a team and corner Walker to see if he will give himself up as bombers are generally cowards.

* * *

"This feels wrong to me. Walker let himself be found to negotiate, so we lost the element of surprise," Elle says.

"Well lets see if we can still surprise him, make him feel backed up in a corner so that he'll give himself up. Remember we have to take him alive, he's the only one who can diffuse the necklace. [Last Name] is in danger, again." Hotch is frustrated at [First Name] for voluntarily putting herself in danger but he needs to make sure she gets out of the situation alive to reprimand her.

They go into the building and when they find Walker he refuses to put his hands up. He threatens to press the button if they don't give him what he wants. Aaron says that there's no way that's going to happen as he is at the top of the FBI's most wanted list, instead he has a chance to survive if he just slides his gun across the floor and gives himself up. David slides the gun and says that he is coming out.

* * *

Morgan calls Gideon to inform him about an email sent between Bale and Walker, _"Listen to this:_

_My only regret is giving myself up. And for what? To be stuck in a cage the rest of my life. Don't make my mistake. If they catch you, whatever you do, don't let them keep you."_

He hangs up his phone and remembering his comment earlier about all bombers being cowards, he realizes that Walker isn't a bomber but a forger.

* * *

"Now walk slowly towards me," Hotch tells Walker.

 _"Get out of there, now!"_ Gideon's voice is heard through the walkie talkie. Everybody manages to get out of the way of the blast, but now Walker is dead.

* * *

"Is Agent [Last Name] and the hostage okay?" Aaron says to Morrison over the walkie talkie.

"Their fine, for now," he responds back.

They only have a little over two hours left and Morrison whispers to Gideon that with Walker dead he's all out of options.

Gideon looks at [First Name] to see her talking animatedly with the hostage, keeping him decently calm as he talks about his pregnant wife. "I've got one."

* * *

Hotch and Gideon try to make a deal with Bale by offering a prison transfer. Bale denies, saying he wants to go to a mental facility. Aaron says that his demand is unrealistic.

"I want to be able to talk to people who aren't prisoners," Bale says while cradling his head in his hands. "I want to have access to people, things, the world. I want to connect again."

"Alright," says Gideon. He isn't willing to sacrifice [First Name]'s life just because of an unrealistic deal.

"One more thing. I want you to confess. I want you to admit that I outsmarted you. I want you to apologize to the families of those six victims you got killed. And I want it all in writing."

"If I do this you'll tell me how to diffuse the bomb?"

"Only if you do this."

Bale's lawyer assures Gideon that everything is in writing and if Bale's information is wrong then the deal is void. Finishing up his note with his signature, Gideon sets it aside.

"I wanna hear it," Bale demands.

"There was a hostage situation. I negotiated with Bale. He agreed to give himself up. He came out of the warehouse peacefully. I gave the ok to send six of my agents in, and...and they never came out," Gideon chuckles morbidly. "It was a mistake. It was my mistake, I was...I was outfoxed by Mr. Bale. By you. I sincerely regret having made the decision to send those agents in that day. And I sincerely regret and apologize to all the families."

"...Four more minutes," Aaron says.

* * *

"I've isolated all the wires," you say into the walkie talkie, "Now it's either the blue or the red wire."

You heard Gideon ask, _"Which wire do we cut? Red or Blue?"_

 _"Red,"_ says Bale.

"Then I'm cutting the blue," you tell them.

 _"[Last Name] what are you doing?"_ Aaron demands.

"Following Gideon's advice, assuming Bale's information will lead to nowhere," you say calmly.

"Gideon stop her," Aaron demands.

 _"This is crazy [Last Name], just cut the red wire,"_ Elle says with concern.

"14 seconds," you remind them.

Gideon takes one look at Bale and tells [First Name], "Cut the blue wire."

You do and the timer stops.

"Okay, I can cut this off now," you tell the ex-hostage with a small smile. Aaron grabs Bale roughly and takes him away from the scene.

"Thank you," the ex-hostage tells you with tears in his eyes. "You put your own life in danger just to comfort me. Thank you."

"Nobody should have to go through this type of thing alone," you tell him firmly. "Just name your new baby girl after me," you say jokingly.

He laughs.

* * *

"How were you sure?" Elle asks Gideon.

"He told me. He said given the opportunity of pressing that button, he'd have no choice. All I did was take his word for it. Just like [First Name] took my word for it."

Gideon escorts Adrian Bale to his prison cell. "You don't know how much satisfaction I get knowing I put you, a special bird, in this little cage. I guess you could call it an emotional release," Gideon smirks.

* * *

Before you board the plane Elle comes up to you, "I'm sorry about the way I acted before. It's just, I knew what I was signing up for with Reid. I didn't expect for a girl version of him to be hired. It's like you see what we all don't and it makes me wonder why I'm even here."

You smile softly at her, "I understand. Although I honestly don't know what your all so amazed about. You guys do all the work, I just draw up conclusions along the way."

"It isn't your intelligence and accomplishments that amaze us [First Name]. It's the way you treat people. You sympathized with Clara Hayes and don't blame her at all for almost setting you on fire. You risked your life so that the hostage wouldn't be alone. You may not be good at making friend, but when it comes to complete strangers...I don't think I could ever be that good of a person."

You blush, "T-Thank you Agent Greenaway."

She smiles at you, "Call me Elle."

Later on the plane while Spencer and Elle are asleep Hotch sits next to you. "Agent [Last Name] while I understand that being a psychologist compels you to help people emotionally, in this line of duty that can put your life at a higher risk like it did today. In the future, don't do it again."

You stand up and chuckle, "You know my Commander told me the same thing about three years ago. You should call him and see how often I still did it. Still will do it.

I've been on my own almost all my life Agent Hotchner. I know what it's like. If there's any way I can help someone I will." You walk away.

Hotch sighs and leans his head back on his seat, having you on the team is going to be a real headache. But you are special, something about you compels him and Gideon to protect you. It seems like Elle has joined that group too. He almost feels like he should warn Penelope, JJ, Morgan, and Reid about it but decides otherwise. It's not like it's a bad thing really, just stressful when you purposefully put your life in danger. Which according to you will be often.


End file.
